1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of controlled flow, exhaust manifold systems and, more particularly, to apparatus for controlling the flow of exhaust gases from a plenum chamber serving as a common exhaust manifold for a plurality of rocket launching tubes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a rocket is fired inside a launch tube, the exhaust gases must be discharged to some safe location. This is a particular problem when the rockets are mounted below deck in a ship or below the surface of the ground. The exhaust gases are collected and directed to discharge by use of a plenum tube or duct that is below the rocket exhaust nozzle and that controls and contains the exhaust to a safe location for discharging into the atmosphere. During a normal firing, the exhaust flows through the launch tube and into the plenum duct until the rocket is well out of the launch tube.
The rocket exhaust gases are generally rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide. These gases will react with the available air in the plenum and cause combustion heat and possible detonation. Either will produce higher plenum pressures than are desirable.
Various known prior art patents have disclosed structure for controlling and directing rocket exhaust gases. Some of these pertain to safety doors or gas valves which are operable to admit exhaust gases into an associated manifold when a rocket is ignited. The disclosures of the Eastman U.S. Pat. No. 2,445,423 and the Neuman et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,296, for example, illustrate the use of such doors or valves, as does also the Piesik U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,648. Eastman also discloses a large open-ended exhaust manifold for rockets stored otherwise than in a launch tube to permit the safe detonation of such a rocket by greatly reducing the exhaust pressure in the large manifold. Balancing of exhaust reaction forces is achieved by releasing gases simultaneously in opposite directions. Structures for directing or diffusing rocket or missile exhaust gases safely or, in one instance, for suppressing the noise of reaction engines are disclosed in the Santora et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,925,013, the Logan et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,964, the Shearer U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,238 and the Hickman U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,294. However, none of these prior art patents is found to deal with the problem here involved, at least in the manner disclosed herein in connection with the present invention.